Texas standoff ends with 1 dead, suspect in custody

The Arlington Police stated that the suspect had been taken into custody and that searches of the apartment were under way

By Bill Hanna
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

ARLINGTON, Texas — A suspect in an early morning shooting who had barricaded himself inside an apartment has surrendered to police.

The Arlington Police Department posted on social media shortly after 1:30 p.m. that the suspect had been taken into custody and that searches of the apartment were under way.

Lt. Christopher Cook, an Arlington police spokesman, said one person had been wounded, and authorities later said that person had died.

The first calls of shots fired were reported about 6:10 a.m. at the Silverwood apartments in the 1100 block of Silverwood Drive in north Arlington, off Avenue J just west of Texas 360.

When police arrived, the suspect opened fire.

"When officers arrived on scene, they did locate a suspect," Cook said. "However he did refuse to surrender. He did fire upon officers."

No officers were injured but Cook said one person had been wounded at the scene.

Cook said officers had surrounded the unit and finally made contact with the suspect late this morning.

He said police communicated with the man by phone and that at first the suspect had refused to leave the apartment. He relented and surrendered early this afternoon.

Police said that no-one else was in the apartment and that the suspect released animals before surrendering.

At least 25 residents were evacuated during the standoff, Cook said. Police said that the entire apartment complex is a crime scene and that residents won't be allowed back in for two or three hours. Numerous rounds were fired throughout complex, police said, and detectives were scouring the area for shell casings.

Omar Richards, who lives in a neighboring apartment complex right behind the Silverwood Apartments, said he heard screaming and yelling as early as 3:30 a.m. Monday. At one point, he heard a door slam and a woman scream.

"You could hear screaming and yelling but you didn't know what it was about," said Richards, who has only lived in the neighboring complex for about a week.

Richards was able to leave his residence to take a friend to work but many residents were still in their apartments as the standoff continued. Cook noted a "significant police presence" at the complex.

The Arlington school district had a bus waiting in the area to transport students from the complex once the scene was clear, police said.

Grand Prairie police were called into assist and several ambulances were on standby.